Newborn: Birth of Pegasus

[LillyCat]

Greek mythology story of the birth of Pegasus that sprang from Medusa's neck as Perseus was beheading her. With a nebula giving birth to Pegasus's constellation. There are eight stars that make up the constellation and in numerology, 8 is the number of building, and in some theories, also the number of destruction. Six snakes coming from Madusa's body to make an evil number. The fire too gives the meaning from death and rebirth refecting Medusa and the rebirth of her in Pegasus.

Thank you all so much that have helped. This painting would have not have come out with out you all ;)

-Photoshop CS3
-Wacom Graphite 4

Full View Of Painting: Birth Of Pegasus (http://fc04.deviantart.com/fs46/f/2009/211/6/6/Birth_Of_Pegasus_by_LindaLisa.jpg)

Edit: Added the close ups

[LillyCat]

I had started a painting a week ago of a toymaker and today I seen someone post the same idea I had lol. So, I started over with a new idea.

I wanted to do the Greek mythology story of the birth of Pegasus that sprang from Medusa's neck as Perseus was beheading her.

These are some sketches I have made this far. I really like number 12. I just hope there is noone that has done the same this time ;)

[Pixelestial]

Nice sketches. I agree #12 is probably the best, but 2 could also work if you were to go for a more subdued painting.

[LillyCat]

A good friend and I brainstormed some more ideas and came up with this:

[Huey Yeng]

Your latest thumb is the best I think. Try to comeout some colour thumbs too at the same time. :)

[pearlyking]

I like one and two, I think it works better with the medusa snakes rather than the whole head (just my opinion).

[LillyCat]

Color study

[Killskerry]

This is lovely! The nice round doorway and complimenting shape of the neck are my favorite part of the composition.

However (isn't there always a however) I think that the wings (especially the right wing) Break up the space and look a little awkward. I would bend the right wing so it curves forward with the feathers curling up around the edge of medusas body. i love how you have blood on the tail I think it would make pegasus feel more like hes part of the painting if you put blood on his hooves legs and wingtips too..some more drips maybe...or some blood spatters. He did just burst out of there.

Are you going to put more snakes around? I see some vague snake shapes and i think the sketch had more it would help to have a few lying around.

can't wait to see more!

[Dorkthrone]

You're making very good progress on the color study so far. I like how the composition looks.

[harris-ejaz]

good luck man, this concept would ahad me stumped.

[LillyCat]

This is lovely! The nice round doorway and complimenting shape of the neck are my favorite part of the composition.

However (isn't there always a however) I think that the wings (especially the right wing) Break up the space and look a little awkward. I would bend the right wing so it curves forward with the feathers curling up around the edge of medusas body. i love how you have blood on the tail I think it would make pegasus feel more like hes part of the painting if you put blood on his hooves legs and wingtips too..some more drips maybe...or some blood spatters. He did just burst out of there.

Are you going to put more snakes around? I see some vague snake shapes and i think the sketch had more it would help to have a few lying around.

can't wait to see more!

Thank you. I am happy to see you got the idea with the doorway ^^

I am not sure what to do about the right wing's shape. I dont want to lose the movment. I have wokred it a little now and see what you think and if there is more I need to do with it. As for the bloor..YES there will be blood on the pegasus and some like afterbirth hanging off like in the thumbnail and the snakes will be there everywhere. I just have the things on another layer so I can work out the form and the painting without them blocking some of the form. ;)

[Killskerry]

Ok i'm gonna do this just like I do when i'm critiquing one of my students work so I apologize for marking all over your picture I just am having trouble explaining in words what i'm trying to say and I think the image has so much potential.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b258/killskerry/wheredoilook.jpg

First off the canvas for this is much too tight and restrictive for the wings. The eye just goes zig zagging everywhere and eveything leads you right off the canvas. As a viewer i'm so distracted by the wings awkwardly breaking the space I don't even notice medusa's body which should be your main focus. even the tail leads you off the canvas.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b258/killskerry/wingsuggestion.jpg


Your wings aren't hanging naturally they look flat and pushed forward like he would flap them forward and back and not up and down. If the picture was more stylized you would get away with it but it has a more realistic look so i would make them look more like real birds wings which curve forward around the body.

By creating a circle with the wings you lead the viewers eye around and around to take in all the rich lovely detail also bringing the tip of medusas tail back in.

Hope this helps!

[Randis]

Killskerry
That looks a bit too arranged. To much of a circle layout.

@LillyCat
I would choose another perspective for this scene, something a lot more dramatic. Maybe a cam close to the ground.
Dont show the gate frontal, frontal is boring, you need some nice perspective.
Before spending lots of time with color you could do more quick sketches and research.
Dont pose the wings asymmetrically, google up some nice bird pics and see how real wings look like, i am sure you will find some gorgeous poses.
Develop some interesting light setting, what you have now looks a bit mashed together. The colors are too strong, the shadows look wrong.
Work with radiosity, reflection and bouncing lights.

[LillyCat]

Ok i'm gonna do this just like I do when i'm critiquing one of my students work so I apologize for marking all over your picture I just am having trouble explaining in words what i'm trying to say and I think the image has so much potential.

First off the canvas for this is much too tight and restrictive for the wings. The eye just goes zig zagging everywhere and eveything leads you right off the canvas. As a viewer i'm so distracted by the wings awkwardly breaking the space I don't even notice medusa's body which should be your main focus. even the tail leads you off the canvas.

Your wings aren't hanging naturally they look flat and pushed forward like he would flap them forward and back and not up and down. If the picture was more stylized you would get away with it but it has a more realistic look so i would make them look more like real birds wings which curve forward around the body.

By creating a circle with the wings you lead the viewers eye around and around to take in all the rich lovely detail also bringing the tip of medusas tail back in.

Hope this helps!


Sorry for the late reply..I had to go to Branson over night and just got back.

I really love that you took the time to do this and it is so much better to explain this way ;)

I love the lay out better with yours I will have to work this out now ^^ Thank you so much!

[LillyCat]

Okay...again reworked my painting more ^^ I have been gone so this is a little reply.

Thank you everyone so far with the tips and help this far....

[Huey Yeng]

Nice progress Lillycat. Like Randis said the background element at the moment can be improved to show a sense of depth.

Right now it looks more of a simple backdrop. ^^; Can't help but seeing your latest progress give me Frank Frazetta vibes. Maybe its the colour palette choice. Just for reference I attach a work from Frank Frazetta. See how he handle the background and noticed that they converge to two different vanishing point.

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/8594/frankfrazettapharaohsto.jpg

Lastly save the darkest black for at the last stage of painting.

[LillyCat]

Before I go to bed I painted in quickly the "afterbirth" and a few other details.

By far, not even close to being finshed. Just moving around working out everything. :)

hueyyeng: I think you are right about the background and I plan to do more of it the in "black" area going far back. Not really sure what I am planing to do but I am sure something.

PS: I know the afterbirth is a little much atm..I will work it out more when that part of the painting comes. ;)

[miycko]

fantastic painting linda, i like the way you drew medusa with her arched back which kind of gives the feeling that she's still twitching/moving which is a creepy thing that snakes do after their killed. Pegasus's the new wings really give the painting a feeling of movement, good call taking killskerry's advice. Nice first pass on the afterbirth, i have a suggestion, maybe you can have the also trailing some of the blood from the chest to emphasize even more that he just came out of there, i did a quick piaint over just to show what i mean, hope you don't mind.

[LillyCat]

miycko: hehe wow...I didnt think of that but that is perfect! Thank you very much. That will help the idea of Pegasus coming out :D

[LillyCat]

Again before bed here is what I have done so far.

[Huey Yeng]

Looking good Lillycat. Keep it up and tighten up the details!

[davidherd]

In particular I really like the way you've treated the light on Pegasus, that warm sahdow across the chest area and light glowing through the upraised wing feathers are lovely. . . and those little hints of cold light on the head (although I think I'd carry these through to the right hand wing as well). Well done.

[Gail_Blitzy]

Mucho Better! After you did the changes suggested by Killskerry and already good piece was made excilent. I really like the little blood touches you've made, makes it look like they were fighting, rather then the pegasus just happened across the medusa body

[LillyCat]

I had a problem last night and my painting over two days worth was lost to the "corrupted Photoshop file" so I had to open up an older file and redraw the snake details and the sheild and pegasus details ect. I was so sad but I live again. I wanted to post this and see if anyone has any ideas for the "afterbirth" I have just sketched it in and seeing how it all works. Just not sure and looks like it is a little too rope-like. Any ideas are welcome..

Thank you all ;)

Detail: http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/6240/birthofpegasuswip15.jpg

[LillyCat]

I added a nebula in the background...something to add more to the "Newborn" concept and the stars makes Pegasus's constellation.

[miycko]

Sorry to hear about the lost progress, i know what it's like :wtf: the nebula looks great, maybe you could extend the floor under Pegasus's hind legs a little bit, i think the transition from rock to space is a bit sudden, then again it could just be me
The afterbirth could use a bit of tightening up, if you could have some of it stretched like the one being pulled by his front hoove, most of it looks a bit loose right now.
great detail on the wings btw :teeth:

[Jason C-M]

This is pretty hot stuff. The rendering, texture, and sense of space are great. Good move on scratching the afterbirth off the spot on the wing where it was making a weird tangent with the torch.

[LillyCat]

-miycko:
Thank you and yes..I was not happy lol I got a tear in my eye at that. The afterbirth is a pain...I am still working on making it more tight :D You think it needs more darks and lights to make it look more finshed?

-Jason C-M:
Thank you very much and yes that spot where I had the afterbirth just didn't look right and I see that right after I posted the last WIP lol I had to play with the afterbirth so much it really gets me. Even when I am away from my painting I still think about it and what I can do to make it better ;)

[Jason C-M]

well my one complaint on the piece is that it's not quite clear pegasus is emerging from Medusa. If you don't know the story, you'd think pegasus had just killed her with his bare hooves/teeth, etc. in one hell of a brawl. Maybe some swoop and swish to the afterbirth playing to that explosive motion, and contrasting against the circular frame of the wings and archway?

[miycko]

mmm, i think it's dark parts look ace, any darker & ti might start to look funny, a bit more light parts would look good i think. :)

[LillyCat]

Okay, I think I am done now lol

Posted the final painting in the first post :D

[MeBabyMe]

it looks good, but honestly it looks like a pegasus and medusa got into a fight...and the pegasus just kicked medusas ass

[Black Spot]

Pretty stunning.

[ktkps]

yeah...Looks the Pegasus pile-drived medusa and going in for the pin!!!...anyway stunning work

[kimliatach]

Great piece

[LillyCat]

Thank you all very much for the help and comments


;)

[miycko]

great looking painting linda

good luck :)

[LillyCat]

Just posted some close ups of the painting in the first post. I forgot to do that when I posted the final image.

Cheers

[Lord Edwin]

Great progression in your painting incorporating alot of the suggestions that were made, LillyCat. :) I agree that the background arch could probably have been pushed a little more in terms of perspective but the richness of your rendering is super!

I've never heard of the story behind the painting's concept but I'm inclined to go wikipedia it now. I'm a big fan of ancient myths and settings based on ancient historical context.

[LillyCat]

Great progression in your painting incorporating alot of the suggestions that were made, LillyCat. :) I agree that the background arch could probably have been pushed a little more in terms of perspective but the richness of your rendering is super!

I've never heard of the story behind the painting's concept but I'm inclined to go wikipedia it now. I'm a big fan of ancient myths and settings based on ancient historical context.


Thank you so much and yes the suggestions help so much. I am so happy with the way it came out. It would have not be so much without the help of others ;) I am still learning how to CG paint but can be a little hard with my broken out of date Wacom tablet...but it does the job ^^

I was not sure of the story until I was reading something else and found it. I was able to do fur, feathers, scales and blood to help learn more all in one painting. :)